The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-30
CHANT OF A WOODLAND SPIRIT.
An INSTRUMENTATION

AN INTERPRET ALTON.
tFrom "a Dream of Happy Days)
W was the morning of golden day,
n Hllu, sweet morning, early in November
az, one In that time twas
"heu through The long still night the white frost
Which soon the genial Sun doth turn to dew.
walked alone among the falling leaves
Along the dry bed OF n woodland stream
Alone, save sorrow walked beside me ever,
Ana memory dear, with gentle clasp and sad,
Her hand still twined In mine.
], all unworthy walked bctwxt these twain
These twain that have more richer made the soul
More, counsclled needless and unwary feet
Back 10 the path Of hope, than Others all
That ever, on the great round of this world
Have sought the poor conpanlonship OF men.
Grave ministers are they, from that strange land
Whose pathess fields the soul doth haunt bctimcs,
But with such laundering steps that soon we fall,
And straight that world hath vanished like u cloud.
All happy he who makes friend Of Sorrow,
And rests In hope ON Memory's thoughtful breast
But !, unworthy, walked with these and grieycd,
AS one whom God hath mnde cOmpanionlcss.
To dream of dreams to find the soul dwelling,
Amidst the realm OF unsubstantial things
40 pass liie'h dangerous limit yet TO keep
Ihe sense aud scmblanCc Of mortality;
10 cross the threshold with the heart still warm,
Touch hands with wonder. aud unframed return
For this sought, and this in part found,
In part. Herewith our hearts must be content
Or here or elsewhere, be IL heaven OF hell.
But Tlrt OF all we dream Of we shall find,
Joy or despair-we never shall find more
VAN ~ The arr OF hanged words, and vain
The willing numbers; nothing can fncose
The visions which the startled soul herself
But dimly sees. nor fix upon the page
a record OF entertainments In whose thrali
There was the quiet vale, the towering trees,
Trend OF uneven slopes. salSc .dappled stiil
T run pa.e .vniGhornSes o, the autumn glory;
And M ,h a. ,,annoi ~ a ii,,' W"s "''
The snScrs LAM and di,ny ,h,neds c, ao.,,,a
0 P''N' WINS "'' "'''' ''''""s "0io "'"""s
The s,rc.r, sa,, No, Nm, from, Aha vo,,oios. ,od
,bsr' 49, y, ~ "a I'm , Wv n nu,ns "ou
No, thcp h so inmsic e, nS q, w h noWnE,
A woodlsn Shirt ieanins ~, nv III harm n's''
s,. nuS song IN palse on natnr while hls hands
i'aS"''s nun '''o 'n'''i'"s su'nss'
uatf tt,,, ,,,t - f, ,,.,., ,., A., -,
az worlds nn,rb ,nad I'll ,h T fna. .so ~.
scon ~, .,'u ~, M III s'cm
In, 49, 'nad 'T w ~, M VII ,
Ana sorrow nearcr ~, ny hns,rs d,eIs "''"''
f"i" sun 10 oc inc creature that nm
yc, A., soaroo Lr,,,,,uo, 4, A., t,,..,, r,.,.,,.a
Nh, -, ssai,e hn'M IL " ~, iMaWhcu -,
"' h movd'n"u "i'"S'''' s"iAe 'nc ono'us' ""u
Sore sin,iicncd of my .riri,-vhIIs no sang
he G cxs sM So W. aSnSi Wh ,S re ana icl
INC praise oil 'nihss myself had sought 70 sing
ro,,,i,.o N e,ir,, ,h., = o,,..uoo
ro,s,i,,a ,ha 80, ,.tit III , ". - A.. I'M,
f, t"c ,ylc VII, Jus ~ - u'e S'i
A., ~ ~ ss S ~ qu,st y, ~, ~ ioau i
q, ~ iha bi,rrd n, ~ ~ an .mc d.v
wcnd y, hr.,Ss ba. 9 , nad S sdnGi lillian
W :" IIi ~ Z w, ~, uu,lul ni'"
ro,,,t,o ,,,o ,,to-i,,,, nth, 49,, o.,,
~ IL w s',, IVY ~ ", ", ~, ,, vH
'''' ''''n " '''''' ~ ''''''
""
Thcseb the days
Aud like them thcrc he others none on earth,
Nor ia the fancy neither in ,hc drams
Nor pictured Visions, ~ the Knns II men.
Nor dc the rlimp,cso 81 that aicr.world
which longing souls have imagined a. their eyes
Hold, Ia their gifts of beauty promised, hope
These be the dnysl
when. pale and wan. among the unseen stars
The waning moon sinks through the sunlt haze
That sprcad. upon the western morning sky,
Like some celestial Urn. diyincly wrought
Which nigel hnnds let slowly down 10 earth,
To lit the soul OF summer back 10 heaven.
These BE- the days
when that the Wind, thai wailing trouhadour,
Who's soul Il IN hs song comes hy the fields
OF inNny rny which flank the golden hills
lows,
And Though the forest, singing M he comes
The longsirawn calicncc dlrs beside the marge
az some dim plain:
Now, wild and sweet
The music wakes and lifts the trailing choris
All idly daliying With the whispering rccd.
And sweeps the irtwork ~ the rising ground
In long. harmonious ENClls nf melody.
Htul hiuhaF mauuta Ia theme aud n n tho stern
Swift speeds the iridcui wall among the trees,
TIL ali the forest shouts In ecstasy.
And all the moaning aislcs arc filled with sound
Then on the level Of the Painted void
That shake Ike some Wild oeunrr's brindlcd name
Var through The rocl iug cc,lars dragging forth
The heavy inncs with sirnug. rcsistlcss hands,
hwaking all the thousand VOTES up
Which lurk unhcHrd within that wilderness.
To Join his mighty avalanche Of song.
Loud. long. and clear, the picrring, utmost note
Clcavcs through the thunder Of that song Of songs
And arai,s the cfumbllng arches Of the air
With deep and trundling echoes now u rolls
Against the hollow cunlng Of the hills.
And whiriing fuund the brrathlcs kuolls u sink
Down. down. the wonder Of the gaping wales.
To stir the dead dream Of the summer gone
With gentle uistlinrs in the uissrt corn,
And whisper softiy like a lot rrirnin
Hocalllng sometimes sweet ncmemhnnccs
Among The WOVEN willow. dusk and brown:
While, far and faint lingering after tone
Huns through The needed bmnrhcs Of the pine.
And fr,im the upland dlstAnnc, uppling, TALL
Eoft undulntinr murmun Of applause.
When he doth rousr his spirit In the clouds
And Wakc- The north land trumrst with blast
Tint drives the flying SHOWS acftss the world.
AMI niles the white named ssas In crystal peaks
Which echo hack the tcrrun Of his voice
nut SWEET uustrnkahly,
when In the spring time. on the April hills
wh.tft,,. ~. ,,hite armed lawn ls,gins Ia mart
Ntghts tanguid curtains from The morning sky,
H. ain hi. shrphcris plrc within the brook